This is a really quick post to let all those amazing florists out there that supported me buying silk ribbons through my daughters site wildlycreated.com has now moved here! https://karimarebeccapowellartist.com/silk-ribbons/ Continue reading Silk ribbons for florists
It’s been a busy few months since February, read the post to see why! Continue reading West Cork Collective: A Creative Community Hub
It seems like an age since I wrote a post! I have been so engrossed in my creations I have been very remiss with my writings. I only have to scroll through photos on my phone to see how much time I have spent eco printing and dyeing fabrics, experimenting and evolving my adventures with seaweed. There has been quite a bit of interest in what I am doing with seaweed and my plan is to get involved with heritage festivals here in Ireland to further my interest. There is one called the Ellen Hutchings festival dedicated to young women who painted intricate and incredible botanical art of seaweeds, lichens, liverworts and mosses along the coast and woodlands of Bantry and Glengarriff here in West Cork, Ireland. She was the first female botanist to research and create a huge body of work on seaweeds. I hope to get involved at that festival next August. Continue reading More adventures with seaweed
I spend a lot of time in the woods, any woods, I love the energy, the smells, the sounds and the connections with trees. Fungi fascinates me and the more I learn about them, the more I am intrigued. I have learnt about a few that are edible and delicious, more that I don’t like much and a few my tummy doesn’t like. I have also made a pain relieving tincture from the Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria) Mushroom. I have a healthy respect for these exquisitely beautiful fungi and photograph them every year. This year I found so many huge honey fungus , sulphur tufts and cortinarius I decided to have a go at making spore prints. A super simple process. Continue reading Mushroom Spore Prints…more fun with natures gifts.
I am super excited about the experiments I did with local foraged seaweeds on silk fabrics. I hadn’t done any research on the topic and just followed my gut instincts and my small amount of knowledge on eco printing and dyeing. I chose red seaweeds and a gorgeous tactile piece of kelp for this. Continue reading Eco printing and dyeing with Seaweed
It was only a matter of time before my connection with nature and in particular, the woods and trees, ended up on my silk scarves. I have been watching with mixed interest and with a not sure if it’s for me attitude for quite some time. Continue reading Eco dyeing and printing
We are a bit mushroom mad in our house too, the ones that grow in the woods now, not any other kind! we love hunting for them, identifying them and cooking up the edible ones. With Autumn now upon us, the woods are our favourite place to wander. Last weekend we went to Killarney National Park to hunt for them for reference. You aren’t allowed to pick anything there, only take photos. With all that inspiration I decided to have a go at creating some with wool. A mix of wet felted and needle felted mushroom have started emerging from my studio and I have to say I am rather pleased with them. It also gave me an excuse to random dye a whole pile of Wensleydale curly locks that I got from a local farmer and to card some of Leiko Felts gorgeous dyed merino wool from my stash into mushroom blends. Continue reading Autumn is upon us
Seems like ages since I wrote a post! the weeks are flying by. Being a textile artist I seem to have quite a few projects on the go. Between minding my 4 yr old grandson, minding the garden and the usual daily jobs around the house there are lots of days when little else gets done. However, there are also super productive creative days when new ideas and long term shelved ideas come to fruition. I am super excited about a new fascinator base which is a really elegant shape for the face. Simple colours with silk fabrics, flocks and taffetas. Continue reading Jackets and new hats
A few weeks back I had a phone call from a lady who had been gifted one of my silk scarves. She was calling to invite me to showcase my work at a charity event in a well known local hotel. A first for me. I jumped at the opportunity as it was a ticketed … Continue reading From little acorns.
As a textile artist, I am drawn to many types of fibres. Wool is perhaps the most ancient of fibres used to create something more usable. My grandmother was a potter and the idea of making pots intrigued me until I tried it and realised it was too rigid for me. Felting caught my eye many years ago when I was in County Galway but I didn’t get it together to try until the autumn of 2022. Oh my was I hooked, it feels like its deep rooted in my DNA. Such an ancient craft, so much a part of many cultures on a primal level for centuries. The ability to create a vessel out of wool using techniques also used for pottery just feels so good. So many gifted felters here and abroad gracefully giving their knowledge, what a gift. I am learning quickly and avidly, creating bowls, vessels and wearable pieces combining other fibres, silks and found objects. This is a love affair for sure. Continue reading Wet Felting
Karima Rebecca Powell Artist 